Many heartfelt tributes were made to him at the time, not least from his husband Jamie Wake, 38, who said on Facebook: "Sleep well my husband, my rock, my sanity - I don't think you realise how much of an impact you had on so many people."

And now Mr Wake has nominated Selwyn - who preferred to be called Sel – for the Local Hero accolade, saying: “Despite hiding in the shadows, he was the driving force behind the Reading Pride charity from its inception in 2003. And without his selfless contribution, [Reading Pride] would not be the festival that takes place today.

“He was known for his support to hundreds of young people coming to terms with their sexuality through his work as a youth worker for the Reach Out youth group.”

Legacy

Mr Wake said: “Sel made a huge impact to the thousands of people he taught. I understand that his technique brought science to life and inspired many. I recently attended a memorial service at Theale Green School where I'm proud to say his testament lives on.

“And then there's the community in Kennet Island. There's probably not a piece of DIY that he didn't carry out for neighbours or gazebo put up for community events.

“Sel’s legacy is to reach out and make a difference - I guess we can all be a little bit more 'Sel'”.

After his passing was announced, hundreds of his friends, colleagues and former pupils posted tributes on Facebook.

Several have now nominated him to be honoured in no less than three Pride of Reading categories: Local Hero, Community Champion and Culture.

Describing him as a true hero to the LGBT+ community, Kerry Goodman, from Tilehurst, said: “Selwyn dedicated his life to helping the LGBT community and the area’s youth.”

Luke Sherwood, from Maidenhead, said: “[He was] someone who gave everything to charity and to his students throughout his life, and never wanted anything in return.”

Champion

Kennet Island’s Raad Kildani said: “Selwyn was a true champion with a strong, sincere sense of community. He touched the life of everyone he met and left a positive impact.”

Putting Selwyn forward as Local Hero and for the Cultural Award for Encouraging Young People in the Arts, Whitley’s Tina Self said: “Sel was a great bloke, always helping young people, whether at work or home. He was a hero to everyone he met.”

And nominating him for the Community Champion gong for his “tireless work for Reading Pride and many other charities” was Wendy Orwin, from Kennet Island.

The devoted couple were together for almost 15 years.

Mr Wake said one of his proudest memories was how his husband looked after him after an accident in Bulgaria.

“As you can imagine, I was scared of being in a foreign hospital, and Sel didn’t leave my side until my parents forced him to [go and] have something to eat.

“Sel made an impact in Bulgaria and all of the ex-pats declared that everyone needs a Selwyn."

The Community Champion Award is sponsored by Broad Street Mall, while the Local Hero Award is backed by Grosvenor Casino. M&G Real Estate is the sponsor of the Cultural Award for Supporting Young People in the Arts.

Now make your nomination

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